Dear Dr. Smart Spend HSA:
Valentine’s day is coming up and I basically fail every year. My wife says I should just stop trying. I want to get in the Valentine’s spirit and show my wife how much I love her but with a family of four and constant medical bills, I’m stressed! I’m not sure how I can afford a nice evening out. Can I use my HSA to pay for a nice dinner and evening on the town?
Please help!
-Phil
Phil,
While you can’t use your Health Savings Account (HSA) (or FSA for that matter) to pay for a nice Valentine’s date night with your wife, you can use your account to help create the best possible version of yourself.
Here are some tips that will help you use your HSA to improve your health and quality of life:
Take care of your smile.
Regular dental cleanings are important for your overall health and have the side benefit of making your teeth look nice, too. You can use your HSA to pay for them and show off those pearly whites with confidence.
Get better rest.
Getting more high-quality sleep will improve your health and overall mood. You can use your HSA to pay for various sleep-related treatments from insomnia to sleep apnea. You can even use your HSA to pay for OTC sleep aids like a sleep mask and more! Checkout this article “5 FSA eligible items to improve your sleep cycle”, which also applies to HSAs. If snoring is a concern, use your HSA to go see a doctor as it could indicate other underlying health problems like sleep apnea. Your health (and your wife) will thank you.
Take care of your mental health.
Many people can expand their capacity to love and be loved by working on their mental health. From general anxiety to specific disorders, people live with painful, yet treatable, mental health issues without seeking professional help. Even if your preferred therapist is out-of-network for your health plan (which can often be the case), you can still use your HSA to pay for mental health therapy and ask for their cash price. Click here, to learn more about using your HSA (and FSA) to pay for mental health therapy. One note, marriage and family counseling is not eligible.
Improve your health and reduce stress.
You may be able to use your HSA for wellness expenses from gym memberships to weight management and even massages, if they are necessary to help treat a specific medical condition. Talk with your doctor to review your overall health and identify any medical conditions that could be treated using these options and then ask your doctor to write a Letter of Medical Necessity for the prescribed treatment. See this article for some examples, “That's Eligible?! Eric's diet and wellness journey”. If using a letter of medical necessity to pay for a general wellness expenses with your HSA, the letter must outline what medical condition is being treated, a description of the treatment (frequency, dosage), and how long the expense will be needed to treat the condition. Be sure to keep thorough documentation to ensure related HSA distributions remain tax free.
As your overall physical and mental health improves, you should experience improvements with your love life and can look forward to the best Valentine’s day yet.
About Flores
Flores is a leading national administrator of tax-advantaged reimbursement plans including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and Commuter Benefit Accounts (CBAs). In addition to these account-based benefit options, they also handle COBRA and other direct bill services to meet the compliance needs of the employers they serve. In 2018, Flores introduced life.balanced. Reimbursement Accounts (LBA), an affordable post-tax lifestyle reimbursement account for the culture-driven employer. Based in Charlotte, NC, Flores has emerged as the leader in the CDHP market through a service model founded upon innovative technology, dedicated professionals, and an uncompromising commitment to superior service. For more information, visit the Flores website and follow them on LinkedIn.
- Cindy Bistany
- Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances
- (828) 693-3595
- cindy@flores247.com
- Clay Peddycord, GBA, CFC
- Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances
- (800) 532-3327
- clay.peddycord@flores247.com
- Aaron Hunt, MBA, CDHC, HSAe, Certified COBRA Administrator
- Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances
- (800) 532-3327
- aaron.hunt@flores247.com